Railway-tie and rail-fastening device.



No. 888,030. A 'PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. J. J. ODONNELL. RAILWAY TIE AND RAIL FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1907.

NI ENTOA.

A TTORNE VS JAMES JOSEPH ODONNELL, OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY.

RAILWAY-TIE AND RAIL-FASTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed July 10, 1907. Serial No. 383,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JosEPH ODoN- NELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Railway-Tie and Rail-Fastening Device, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in metallic railway ties and the devices for locking the rails thereto, and it has for its object to provide an improved tie that may be cheaply made of sheet metal and which in practice possesses ample rigidity without being unduly heavy.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved devices for effectually locking the rails in position on the tie, the locking devices being so constructed that the rails may be applied to and removed from the tie with the greatest facility when the devices are unlocked, although the rail cannot loosen when the fastening devices are locked.

A further object is to provide improved means for cushioning the rails relatively to the ties, for the purpose of minimizing noise and shock incident to the passage of the trains.

To these and other ends, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and combination and arrangement ofiparts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway tie and rail locking devices constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tie and locking devices. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

The tie shown in the present embodiment of my invention is composed of a single piece of sheet metal, such as steel, the longitudinal edges of the blank or strip from which it is made being folded in parallel relation and substantially at right angles to the intermediate portion of the blank to form a top 1 and vertical sides 2 and 3, the material being thence folded inwardly to form the bottom sections 4 and 5 and are finally turned upwardly to form a double partition 6 which extends longitudinally. of the tie and engages the under side of the top thereof to form a prop to prevent its sagging, and also serves to stiffen the tie longitudinally. The ends of the blank composing the double partition may be secured together by any suitable means, they being secured in the present instance by sets of cooperating lugs 7 and 8 proceeding edgewise from the respective portions of the blank composing the partition and arranged in interfolded relation.

A tie constructed as above described may be used in connection with rail fastening devices of any desired construction, but it is generally preferable to employ rail locking devices of the type shown in the present embodiment of my invention, the tie in such cases being provided with a pair of cooperating rail engaging members one of which'is movable relatively to the other, and a locking device for moving the members into cooperative relation with the rail. In the present instance, the tie is of a form used at one of the rail joints, it being provided at one end with looking devices that are not only capable of fastening the abutting rail ends to the tie but they also serve to join the rails, thereby obviating the necessity of using the ordinary fish plates. However, the ties that are used at points other than at the rail joints are provided at both ends with locking devices such as those shown at the right hand end of the tie in Figs. 1 and 2, the locking devices each embodying a relatively fixed rail engaging member 9 arranged preferably at the inner side of the rail and formed, in the present instance, of a tongue which is punched from the top of the tie and folded over to form a claw adapted to overlap the inner half of the base flange of the rail to prevent relative inward or upward movement of the latter. The cooperating rail engaging member 10 is arranged at the outer side of the rail and it is composed of a key guided to move longitudinally of the tie, a pair of guides 11 and 12 being struck up from the sides of the tie, in the present instance, and having convergent ends which cooperate with the correspondinglybeveled edges 13 and 14 of the key, the guides permitting a relative longitudinal movement of the key and serving to retain it in cooperative relation with the top of the tie. The inner end of the key is undercut, as at 15, to receive the base flange of the rail, the key overlapping the outer half of the base flange on the rail and serving to lock the latter in position on top of the tie.

In order to prevent unlocking or retrograde movement of the key,it is preferable to provide a catch, that shown in the present instance comprising a pawl 16 having a stem 17 guided to operate through an aperture 18 in t 1e upper side of the key and having a pair of projections 19 and 20 on its lower surface to cooperate with a set of ratchet teeth 21 formed on the upper surface of the tie between the guides, the projections of the pawl cooperating with the ratchet teeth as the key is tlghtened and serving to automatically retain it in locked position.

Any suitable means may be employed for tightening the key, a locking member 22 being employed in the present instance which is movable transversely of the tie and is tapered to form a wedge, one side of the locking member cooperating with the rear end of the key and its opposite side cooperating with a transverse shoulder 23 on the tie, the shoulder being formed of a tongue of metal struck up from the top of the tie. In order to prevent vertical displacement of the locking member, it is preferable to provide overhanging portions on the key and shoulder to engage the oppositely beveled surfaces 24 on the locking member. Obviously, as the wider portion of the wedge or looking member is driven between the shoulder and the outer end of the key, the latter will be forced toward the relatively fixed rail engaging member 9, the rail being thereby firmly clamped in position on the tie.

In order to prevent loosening of the wedge or locking member, it is preferable to pro vide a catch, that shown in the present instance embodying a ratchet bar 25 having pivot projections 26 at one end thereof and coo erating with bearing recesses 27 formed within a groove 28 extending longitudinally of the wedge and having a series of teeth 29 arranged to cooperate with a corner 30 on the tie, the ratchet bar operating automatically as the wedge is driven into position.

When it is desirable to release the rail, the wedge is unlocked by striking the free end of the ratchet bar with a suitable tool to disengage it from the tie, it being then possible to drive the wedge out of engagement with the key. The latter may be unlocked by introducing the end of a crow bar or other tool into the aperture 31 formed in the upper end of the guiding stem on the locking pawl, the latter being thereby disengaged from the cooperating teeth on the tie and permitting retraction of the key. The rail may be then moved laterally tofree it from the relatively fixed clamping member and then lifted from the tie.

In order to deaden vibration and minimize noise due to the passage of a train, and also lengthen the life of the rail, it is preferable to interpose cushions between the rails and the tops of the ties, the cushions shown in the present instance being composed of plates of rubber 32 which are laid on the top of the tie beneath the base flange of the rail, the cooperating rail engaging members serving to prevent displacement of the cushion in a di rection longitudinally of the tie and a pair of fingers 33 and 34 being preferably unched from the opposite sides of the tie an turned upwardly to form a pocket to confine the cushion and prevent displacement thereof in a direction transversely of the tie. Such a construction is preferable to one wherein the cushion is seated in a countersink or recess,-

for the reason that moisture is liable to accumulate in the recess and quickly rot the cushion, and the recess is liable to partly fill up with dirt and thereby necessitate cleaning out before the cushion can be inserted.

The locking devices employed at the rail joints are preferably provided with a pair of inner rail engaging members 9 to cooperate with the individual rail ends, but, if so desired, the locking devices at both ends of the tie may be alike.

A railway tie constructed in accordance with the present invention may be rolled or pressed into form from sheet steel, insuring lightness in weight with a maximum strength, liability of breakage being practically eliminated, and the tie being reinforced or stiffened longitudinally to prevent undue bending under the weight of the train passing thereover, and the rail locking devices are so constructed that the rails are fastened in place in such a way that loosening or s reading thereof is effectually prevented, alt ough the rails'may be laid on the ties with the greatest facility when the rail fastening devices are unlocked. Moreover, a railway tie and its cooperating locking devices may be manufactured at a cost that will not render their use prohibitive.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a tie or support, of a rail locking device embodyin a pair of rail engaging members movable re atively in a direction longitudinally of the tie, and a pawl carried by each movable member for engaging the tie to lock said member against movement when engaging-a rail.

2. The combination with a tie or support, of a rail locking device embodying a pair of rail engaging members movable relatively in a direction longitudinally of the tie, means carried by each member for automatically engaging the tie to hold the member against movement in one direction, a locking member for operating the rail engaging members to secure the rail, and a catch for retaining the locking member in locked position.

3. The combination with a tie or support, of a rail locking device embodying a pair of rail engaging members movable relatively in a direction longitudinally of the tie, a wedge movable transversely of the tie for operating the rail engaging members to fasten the tie, and a catch operating automatically to retain the wedge in different locked. positions.

4. The combination with a tie, of rail looking devices thereon embodying a relatively fixed rail engaging member on the tie, an adjustable rail engaging member guided to move longitudinally of the tie, means carried by the adjustable member for automatically engaging the tie to hold said member against movement in one direction and a catch interlposed between the tie and the adjustable rai engaging member.

5. The combination with a tie, of rail locking devices thereon embodying a relatively fixed rail en aging member on the tie, an adjustable rai engaging member guided to move longitudinally of the tie, a pawl carried by the adjustable member, and a set of ratchet teeth formed on the top of the tie and cooperating with the pawl for retaining the adjustable member in different locked positions.

6. The combination with a tie, of rail looking devices thereon embodying a relatively fixed rail engaging member, an adjustable member uided to move longitudinally of the tie, a 100 ing member movable transversely of the tie and cooperating with the adjustable member for moving it into engagement with the rail, and a ratchet bar pivotally attached to the locking member and cooperating with a portion of the tie for retaining the locking member in diflerent positions.

7. The combination with a tie, of a rail locking device embodying a relatively fixed rail engaging member, a key guided to operate longitudinally of the tie and provided with a rail engaging portion and having a recess at its under side, a pawl mounted to operate in the said recess and havin a guiding and releasing stem, and a set of locking teeth on the tie to cooperate with the pawl.

8. A railway tie consisting of a sheet of metal folded to form an angular tube, the longitudinal edge portions of said sheet being disposed in contact and in parallel planes and constituting a projection upon which the upper tportion of the tie is supported, the ends 0 said contacting portions having inte ral outstanding lugs folded against the side faces of the respective contacting portions to bind them together transversely.

9. The combination with a tie having fixed rail engaging devices and a transverse shoulder; of rail engaging means movable longitudinally of the tie and between said shoulder and the fixed rail engaging means, a wedge interposed between the shoulder and the movable rail engaging means, and means carried by the wedge for automatically engaging the tie to lock said wedge against movement in one direction.

10. The combination with a railway tie and rail engaging means thereon; of fingers struck outward from the sides of the tie and projecting slightly above the top thereof, and a sheet of cushioning material seated on the tie and held against movement trasversely of the tie by said fingers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES JOSEPH ODONNELL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. K. WHEELER, D. H. HUGHES. i 

